The One-Way Trip
by Ninja Potter
Summary: This is what I imagine happening as Percy and Annabeth fall into Tartarus.


_"We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."_

_Only then did she understand what would happen. _A one-way trip. A very hard fall_._

_"As long as we're together," she said._

_She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above - maybe the last sunlight she would ever see._

_Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness._

_-The Mark of Athena, Rick Riordan_

* * *

The light from the top was getting farther and farther away. Soon, we'd be in the dark.

We were weightless, so it was easy to pull Annabeth right up next to me. Now that my hands were free, I ripped the spider web from her foot and threw it away into the darkness. Then, I wrapped my arms around her and she buried her face into my shirt. My face rested in her hair.

"I'm sorry...that I couldn't hold us." I said, as the darkness circled around us and we fell deeper and deeper. I swore I heard her sniffling. It broke my heart.

We fell for a minute or so, wrapped up in each other in the complete darkness. I tried to feel if there was any water between the rocks that formed the sides of this gods forsaken pit but there wasn't any. I couldn't accept it though. We had fought to hard to not have an escape plan now...when we needed it most.

I felt that Riptide had returned to my pocket. I pulled it out and unsheathed it. It gave off a low glow. I wished, somehow, I could use this sword and save us. Maybe plunge it into the side of this tunnel and let us hang there. Still no one would be able to help us.

"I'm so sorry..." I kept saying, my voice breaking as I realized how hopeless this all was.

Annabeth lifted her head and locked her piercing eyes on mine. I could see the fear in her eyes, and I'm positive that she could see the same thing in mine.

Then she smiled. It was a faint, sad smile but I could see that the fear was gone from her eyes now.

And suddenly, I wasn't afraid anymore. I was right where I should be. I had fought for so many years to live a peaceful life. Once, I actually thought I was an exception to the fact that only a few demigods lived happy lives. Now I knew that all I wanted (and frankly, all I could ask for) in life was Annabeth. And here we were, together.

So yeah, we weren't going to live a long and happy life. But we had each other in this moment. All our fear left us and it made the rest of the fall was almost peaceful.

Soon, the pit was gradually becoming lighter. Annabeth and I twisted so we could see where the light was coming from.

_The bottom_, I thought. I looked back at Annabeth, who nodded. She knew the same thing I did.

Our time had run out.

"I'm grateful." Annabeth said.

"For what?" I asked, wondering what the Hades she could be thankful for at a moment like this.

"That we aren't going to die by monster. We get the chance to say good bye this way." she sighed, as if this was a bad grade she was laughing off and not the fact that we were about...to die. There, I said it.

She gave me another smile and suddenly, our lives were flashing through my mind. Seeing her for the first time as I was barely conscious, escaping the Tunnel of Love ride, basically drowning her so she wouldn't be eaten by the Sirens, kissing after the Battle of Manhattan, seeing her once she arrived at Camp Jupiter. All those times we had barely survived but somehow came out alive.

They all led up to this moment where we'd have to say good bye.

Then I thought of everyone else who had sacrificed themselves and met death gracefully. Bianca, Thalia, Silena, Beckendorf, _Luke_... And that was just to name a few.

As the light got brighter, I thought of Elysium. Surely, we had a shot at making it into there. Well...at least, I hoped Annabeth did.

"Percy," Annabeth's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I was surprised how calmly I was speaking.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain." She said, her voice weak. It still put a smile on my face and despite myself, I chuckled.

"I love you, too, Wise Girl." I said, touching our foreheads together. She smiled.

Then, for the last time, I kissed her. It was pure and full of love, the best I've ever had.

A moment later, we broke apart. We had fallen from the tunnel into a much bigger cave. We probably had a hundred yards.

I twisted around her so I would meet the ground first and hopefully break Annabeth's fall. She realized what I was doing and a tear slid out her eye. I brushed it away and kissed her forehead.

"Good bye." I whispered.

"Good bye.."

We both closed our eyes, and waited.


End file.
